U.S. midterm vote on Nov. 3 will decide control of Congress

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections are scheduled for Nov. 3, with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats up for election. Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress, though their edge in the House is described as narrow. According to the latest assessment from Cook Political Report, 21 House races are rated as toss-ups, while seven Senate contests fall into the same category. Those competitive seats could prove decisive in determining which party controls Congress after the vote. The campaign is unfolding around several major issues, including the economy, cost of living, the Iran war and oil prices. A recent CNN/SSRS poll found that only 27% of respondents approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, while Democratic candidates lead Republicans by 8 percentage points in the national congressional generic ballot. Separately, a September Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump’s overall approval rating at 32%, the lowest level of his political career. The poll said inflation and the ongoing Iran war were among the main reasons respondents were dissatisfied with his performance. If Democrats win enough seats to take the House or Senate, the partisan balance in Congress would shift and could affect the Trump administration’s legislative agenda and policy push.